In 1932, long before travelling in Central Asia became fashionable, Ella Maillart travelled to Russian Turkestan, bordered by China, Tibet, Pakistan, & Afghanistan. Her dream was to see the mountains that lay on the fringes of China & the Takla Makan desert. She travelled like a nomad
- slowly, by camel & on foot. Setting out from Moscow, she crossed Kyrgyzstan as far as the Tien Shan range (the Celestial Mountains). She climbed the 5, 000 metre-high Sari Tor on makeshift skis, explored the legendary cities of Tashkent, Samark&, Khiva & Bukhara, travelled down the Amu Daria river & crossed, solo, the freezing & hostile wastes of the Kizil Kum, the Desert of Red Sands. Her companions are drawn from both past & present
- Mongolian princesses rub shoulders with Trotskyist exiles, whilst pilgrims & dervishes ride alongside emperors & kings. Even today, a trip like this would be considered daring. That Ella Maillart did it, largely alone & more than 70 years ago, makes her journey all the more remarkable.